


A Warm Drink and a Kind Word

by ODeorainFan2150



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Cups of Tea, Gen, Mentions of Mercy and Fio, Pep Talk, Pre-Fall of Overwatch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 10:00:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15727137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ODeorainFan2150/pseuds/ODeorainFan2150
Summary: Tracer normally talks to Mercy when she’s not feeling her bestOnly today, someone else is running the med bay





	A Warm Drink and a Kind Word

It was well known amongst Overwatch staff that Tracer didn’t walk anywhere. She usually ran or bounced. So it was strange when she walked slowly into the med-bay at Watchpoint Gibraltar with a slightly anxious look on her face. The room was quiet, unusual for the main medical facility. Mercy usually kept things on the go, with low music playing to help her relax. Today though, all was still.

“Angela? It’s Lena, are you here?” Her usually cheery voice seemed more strained as it echoed around the room.

“Can I help you, Agent Oxton?” The Irish accent seemed to freeze Tracer for a second as Moira O’Deorain appeared from behind a corner. What was she doing here? Why was she running the med-bay?

“I, err, was just looking for Angela. Is she around today?”

“Dr Ziegler has had to return to Geneva for a personal matter - she will be returning within the week. Until then, I’m the base’s medical professional.” Moira wheeled off these lines as if the concept of her having to actually provide medical treatment was entirely alien. “I may not have the same training as Dr Ziegler but I’m sure I can help you out with the scrapes and grazes I guess you might get from training. So, what ails you?”

“It’s, err, not really a physical doctoring I need at the moment - Angela offered to help out if things got a bit too much up here” Tracer answered, pointing to her head.

“Oh” Moira paused for a moment but then continued in her matter of fact way “That is not something I’m particularly skilled at but I’m sure I could help out if it was an emergency.” Moira pulled out a chair and rolled it towards the Brit. “So what’s the problem?”

With a shake of her head and hands, Tracer started to edge towards the door “It’s fine, I can come back when Angela is around”

“Are you saying that because it honestly can wait until she is back, or are you saying it because, and I quote, ‘Dr O’Deorain scares the hell out of me’?” 

The blood rushed out of Tracer’s face - she had said that just this morning to two of the other Overwatch agents in the canteen. Moira must have overheard her and was now plotting something. Tracer looked back at the Irish woman’s face in time to catch a smirk but then the doctor turned away towards the hot water tap sat on her desk. She pulled out two mugs, placed a tea bag in each and then started pouring in the boiling water

“Don’t worry about your comments offending me, Ms Oxton. Being treated with a mixture of terror and awe is useful - it keeps people from trying to distract me from my work for unnecessary social events or unneeded meetings.”

“However, if you genuinely need someone to talk to about anything I am available. Alternatively, I can offer you some medical assistance in the form of a strong cup of builders tea.”

The doctor had turned around and now had two mugs full of a milky brown liquid. She put one into Tracer’s hand before sitting into her own chair across from the rather confused looking Brit. As Moira drank, Tracer noticed the handwritten scrawl across her mug:

“FILL ONLY WITH TEA OR WHISKEY”

“I’m sure Captain Amari would have words to say about the brewing process but most of her teas are much to fancy for my tastes, especially for the mass consumption my work requires.” Moira continued

“I haven’t had a mug like this for a while.” Tracer stated before going for a second sip “Been drinking the tea out of the cafeteria instead”

Moira’s face seemed to screw up for a moment before she responded in a low tone “How someone considers that muck to be tea still confuses me to this day”

The Doctor’s face relaxed and now her eyes stared directly at Tracer “But enough dancing around the subject, what’s troubling you that you go find Dr Zeigler to talk to rather than Winston or Reinhardt? “

Anxious, Lena ran a hand through her mop of hair and then began to speak “It’s coming up on almost two years since I climbed into the Slipstream - last time I took control of a plane. People are still treating me like I’m broken or need careful handling. Sure it’s all smiles when I’m in the conversation but I know people talk in hushed tones or stare at the harness when they don’t think I notice. It’s just… frustrating. I feel like I’m just a creature at the zoo to them” As she said her piece, she leant forward slightly in her chair, the weight of all her worries slowly piling down on top of her

Moira had steepled her fingers over her mug as she listened to Tracer vent. When she finished, Moira placed the mug on the desk behind her and then leaned closer to the other chair, bringing her face to face with Tracer’s slumped form.

“I’m sorry if I don’t have Dr Zeigler’s tone here but honestly, why should you care so much what other people think?” Tracer was a little stunned by her response so Moira continued. 

“You are THE Tracer! You were flying experimental jets for the RAF before you were 20! Overwatch explicitly went out to hire you because there was no one better, no one more skilled at that job. After the Slipstream tore itself a hole in the space-time continuum, you saw things no one else has ever seen and literally willed yourself back into this timeline long enough for Overwatch to clamp that Chronal Anchor on your chest and help you. And then rather than just quit and invalid yourself out, you trained to use your new abilities as a field agent. AND throughout all of this, you’ve always had a bright smile plastered across your face, even when it really shouldn’t be there”

Moira had now grabbed Tracer by the shoulders and lifted her up slightly in her chair. Tracer had never seen the Doctor this animated, her eyes lit with a fire that had never been there before. In some ways, it was almost terrifying.

“People stare and make comments for stupid reasons. For my entire life, I’ve been the subjects of whispers and looks purely because a few genes decided to align themselves slightly differently to planned and so I don’t look like everyone else. You get stares because you have done something no-one else has ever done. They will never go away so own it!”

Realising she had lifted Tracer out of the chair, Moira put her back down and sat back on her own seat.

“That doesn’t mean every day is a walk in the park. There are going to be days where you hear the whispers or see the eyes linger for a second longer than expected. But I know you’ve got that will to push you through, you just need to realise it yourself”

Moira pulled a doctors notepad across to her and started scribbling on it

“Now, I think the real issue here is that you still think the Slipstream failed because of something you did. That’s why you haven’t flown since and that’s what sat on your brain making you doubt yourself. That’s why the anniversary of it has brought these concerns to the forefront of your mind”

“As your doctor, I’m prescribing you to go talk to one of the dropship pilots, 2nd Lt Fio. She’s been looking for someone to train up as her co-pilot for Overwatch missions and would be more than happy to take someone on who already knew the basics. Get back in the air, Ms Oxton, and your confidence is going to return faster than you expect. I also heard Fio has a crush on a certain speedy agent but hasn’t got round to trying to talk to her”

Tracer took the piece of paper Moira was holding out to her. She could barely read it (obviously Moira’s handwriting had been affected by being made the doc for the day) but it was a communicator number.

Tracer took a deep breath and pocketed the note “That wasn’t the talk Angela would have given but cheers Doc, it really did help.”

Moira bowed in her chair. “Glad I could be of assistance. Now, if there is nothing else, I recommend leaving the med-bay before the end of day rush comes in. I expect Mr McRee will have somehow injured himself again and it's always a mess”

Tracer had made it to the door to the med-bay when Moira called out to her.

“Oh and Agent Oxton? If I hear you telling people about how nice I really am underneath, I’ll soon find ways to make sure your gossip goes back to its original form. Probably involving additional medical checks or topping up your travel vaccines.”

Tracer threw a mock salute and then sprinted away, feeling much better than she had been an hour before. The Doc wasn’t as bad as she thought but that bit of knowledge would be one she’d keep to herself.

**Author's Note:**

> I really like the idea of Tracer and Moira interacting outside of the battlefield. Also pre-fall of overwatch seems like a perfect time to set a heart to heart between the two of them.
> 
> I'm sure Angela will have some words for both of them when she gets back
> 
> Also look! The curse is broken! I can set things outside of a townhouse in Dublin :v
> 
> EDIT: Minor edits on 29/09/18 to improve readability  
> If you like this work, I love hearing your comments - I'll always try and respond! Alternatively, drop me an email at odeorainfan2150@gmail.com
> 
> Follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/deorainfan2150 for news on what I'm working on next.
> 
> If you want to throw me a tip, you can find my Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/odeorainfan2150.


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